The present invention concerns window buck construction ultimately used as a form to define an opening in a cast wall for subsequent installation of a window.
Window bucks are commonly used in the construction of buildings of concrete wall construction and serve to block out an area in the wall during pouring of concrete. The window buck is supported in place on front and rear wall surfaces and left in place to receive a window assembly.
Homes and other buildings utilizing concrete as the major wall component may include inner and outer surfaces of insulative sheet material applied to reinforcing steel prior to pouring of the concrete to become an integral part of the wall. The insulative sheet material may serve as a wall form with the insulative qualities of the foam material U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,293 discloses a window buck for blocking out a wall area for later reception of a window. Elongate buck members are joined at their ends, in one form, by right angular locking members, each having a protruding frictional member for retention of an arm of the locking member within a selected interior channel of a buck member. The buck members define multiple internal channels. To retain the buck in assembled configuration the locking members must be of precise shape and size and become a part of the installed buck. A preferred form of the window buck disclosed dispenses with the right angular insertable locking members and achieves interlocking of the buck member ends by the cutting of the ends of the members to form tongues for insertion within slots cut in the intersecting end of an adjacent buck member. In both forms of the window buck disclosed no provision made for use of the window buck in the formation of window openings in walls of other than a single specified thickness. Further, the channels within which right angular connectors are inserted are all internal channels open only at their ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,103 discloses a window buck having members formed with internal channels extending along each side of the member and along a central wall of the member to receive inserts of right angular shape for joining intersecting ends of two buck members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,804 discloses a plastic window frame wherein right angular gussets serve as locking members to join horizontal and vertical frame members by insertion into interior channels of corresponding cross section. The gussets and an overlapping stiffener in each buck member fit within a partially open internal channel defined by each buck member.
The provision of a buck being laterally adjustable to accommodate installation in walls of two predetermined thicknesses is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,624. The buck disclosed is adjustable to accommodate 8 inch or 9 inch thick walls. A clamp is secured in one of two positions by a key inserted through aligned slots in the clamp and a lip on two adjustable buck members.
A wall vent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,947 for incorporation into a foundation wall with the vent having interengageable inner and outer members which may be joined in a manner enabling the vent to be adjusted to suit one or two thickness of the wall under construction. No provision is made for infinite adjustment of the wall vent.
The present invention is embodied within a window buck for installation in a concrete wall being formed with the buck readily assembled using angular connectors in external channels.
A window buck is provided, in one form, for use in forming window openings in walls of various thicknesses with the buck having members each with front and rear components slidably adjustable relative one another. Laterally open channels or grooves formed in the buck members receive connectors placed therein to join the members. The connectors may be of rebar material and reusable if so desired. A yieldable lip on each channel ensures retention of a connector.
Objectives include the provision of a window buck of extruded synthetic material with the buck members assembled into a framework using low cost, reusable connectors set into place in open sided channels; the provision of a window buck for use in walls of a wide range of thicknesses with the buck having, in one form, a central component adding to the range of adjustment of the buck for such thicknesses; the provision of a window buck having a bottom member which is positionable on a wall under construction permitting the discharge of fluid wall material into that area of the wall under the window buck; the provision of a window buck having connectors retaining the buck in a configuration for later reception of a window with one of said connectors serving as a pivot for a bottom member of the buck permitting outward positioning of the bottom member to allow discharge of fluid wall material into that wall area below the buck.